Caps nominated for CSA annual awards

January 7, 200812:00 AM PST

Several Vancouver Whitecaps FC players have been nominated for the 2007 Canadian Player of the Year awards.
The Canadian Soccer Association unveiled their list of player nominees in six categories – senior men and women, U-20 men and women, and U-17 men and women. The Whitecaps are well represented in the Female Player of the Year selection, with six players in with a chance of winning the annual award. Candace Chapman, Martina Franko, Randee Hermus, Erin McLeod, Sophie Schmidt, and Christine Sinclair have all been nominated after representing Canada at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.
Schmidt, meanwhile, is also in the running for the U-20 Women’s Player of the Year award alongside three other Whitecaps women’s team members. Jodi-Ann Robinson, Kaylyn Kyle, and Paige Adams also received nominations from the CSA, with a total of six players in the running for the accolade.
Two Whitecaps youngsters have also been nominated for the Canadian Junior (U-17) Players of the Year awards, with Whitecaps Residency right fullback Greg Smith in the running for the men’s award, while midfielder Monica Lam-Feist is a nominee for the women’s award.
The 2007 Men’s Player of the Year award includes two players from British Columbia in the nominations. Former Vancouver 86ers goalkeeper Pat Onstad is in the running after performing admirably for Canada at last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup finals and helping his current club Houston Dynamo to a successful defence of their Major League Soccer title last November. Prince George native Richard Hastings has also been nominated after helping Canada to the Gold Cup semifinals in the US and being a regular performer with Scottish Premier League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Voting for the senior men’s and women’s Player of the Year awards will be evenly split between the Canadian media and top-level Canadian coaches. The U-17 and U-20 awards will be voted on by members of the Canadian national team coaching staff, as well as other top coaches from across the country. All six winners will be announced by the CSA next week.
Canadian soccer fans will also have the chance to vote for their top male and female players in the 2007 CanadaSoccer.com Fans Choice awards. Supporters will have until Sunday, January 20, to choose their favourite male and female players from last year. Click here for more information on how to vote online.